NBA: Payton Pritchard, Celtics shoot down Sixers, lead 3-1

Payton Pritchard delivered a career playoff performance off the bench, scoring 32 points as the Boston Celtics dominated the Philadelphia 76ers, 128-96, on the road Sunday night to grab a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Jayson Tatum led Boston’s starters with 30 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, knocking down five three-pointers. Jaylen Brown added 20 points and seven rebounds as the second-seeded Celtics moved within one win of advancing to the next round. Game 5 is scheduled for Tuesday in Boston.

Pritchard was the spark throughout, hitting six three-pointers and finishing 12-of-21 from the field. Boston set the tone from long range, connecting on a franchise playoff-record 24 three-pointers while extending their strong shooting form in back-to-back wins in Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid returned to action for the 76ers after missing time following an appendectomy more than two weeks ago. He scored 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting, grabbed 10 rebounds, and added six assists in 34 minutes. Tyrese Maxey contributed 22 points, while Paul George finished with 16.

Philadelphia shot 41.2% from the field and 30% from three-point range, struggling to keep pace with Boston’s perimeter barrage. Quentin Grimes added 12 points off the bench as the 76ers tried to stay competitive.

The Celtics took control early, with Pritchard scoring 13 points in the first quarter, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer that put Boston ahead 34-18. He finished the first half with 18 points as the Celtics built a 56-38 lead.

Boston continued to pull away in the third quarter, as Brown scored six straight points and Tatum added a three-pointer to stretch the lead to 69-43. Pritchard closed the quarter strong, helping Boston enter the fourth with a commanding 95-74 advantage before sealing a comfortable finish. -Field Level Media/Reuters